Discover the best of Madagascar on a tailor-made safari from pristine beaches to untouched jungle, dramatic sandstone landscapes to wildlife-rich forests with lemurs to meet and Baobab trees to walk amongst. Plan your tailor-made holiday

Itinerary

Antananarivo – Andasibe. After breakfast we start our journey with a drive to Andasibe through the green and luxuriant vegetation of the east. This first step brings you to the humid part of the country with many primary forests and lakes. Along the way we will see Merina villages in the rocky mountains. Arrive at Andasibe in the afternoon and check-in to the hotel. Later this evening enjoy a night walk in the area of Andasibe to observe night active lemurs and other nocturnal animals. Overnight: Andasibe | Breakfast

A morning visit to the Special Reserve of Andasibe, to see the Indri Indri, the largest lemurs on the island. This 810 ha reserve is unique with its endemic fauna and flora. It contains a wide variety of orchids, canopy, and endemic animals like chameleons, tenrecs, and many birds. After the visit, walk through the orchid park to admire all the nice flowers. In the afternoon, we visit the Vakona lemur island, a private reserve offering up close photo opportunities with the many habituated lemurs who find refuge there. We overnight at the same hotel.Overnight: Andasibe | Breakfast

Andasibe - Antsirabe. Drive back to Tana, and head south to Antsirabe, across the highland landscape with its beautiful rice fields on stage. The spectacular eroded hills called ‘lavaka’ reminiscent of the Far East with its rice fields and green landscape with vegetables and fruit trees. After a quick lunch stop in a forested area, we arrive in Ampefy and visit the thundering Lilly Waterfall before continuing our journey to Antsirabe. Antisirabe, aka ‘the place of salt’, is an elegant city well known as the centre of the beer industry, you can smell the Star Brewery as we enter the town!

Founded by the Norwegians in 1856, it is the only place which really feels and looks like a European city. It has a temperate climate and all fruits and vegetable, which grow in cooler climates, are found in Antsirabe. Overnight: Antsirabe | Breakfast

Antsirabe - Ranomafana National Park. After breakfast, we drive to Ambositra, the centre of Madagascar's wood carving industry. We are still in the highland, which is characterized by its architecture: The houses are made with ornately carved wooden balconies and shutters with bright colours. Further on we pass the ‘le col de tapia’, a type of tree resistant to the bush fires of the area. The landscape is still dominated by rice fields, pine and eucalyptus trees and rocky mountains. Onward to stunning Ranomafana National Park.Overnight: Ranomafana National Park | Breakfast

Day 6

Ranomafana National Park

Parc National de Ranomafana (approximately 40,000ha), with its rain forested hills and abundant wildlife, has long been considered one of Madagascar’s highlights, and is one of the most heavily visited of the country’s national parks. Its entrance lies about 7km from Ranomafana village. Altitudes in the park range from 800m to 1200m. In addition to its densely forested hills, Ranomafana’s terrain is characterised by numerous small streams, which plummet down to the beautiful Namorona River. Although much of the region has been logged, the easternmost part of the park retains relatively large areas of primary forest. We will go for walks in the National Park for several hours spotting some of the lemurs, chameleons and other animals.Overnight: Ranomafana National Park | Breakfast

Day 7

Wine Tasting & Ihosy

Ranomafana - Fianarantsoa – Isalo. We leave Ranomafana using the road that you entered on, and head to Fianarantsoa ‘the city where one learns good things’. It is the gate to the South and the capital of the Betsileo tribes. This is the centre of the Catholic religion and most of the best schools are found here. En route we visit a local wine farm for wine tasting near Fianarantsoa. Note that visits to the wine farms may not be possible over weekends.

We then head southwards to Ambalavao to visit the ‘Anteimoro Paper Factory’ a vestige of the Arabian civilisation in the island and visit Anja Park where you can see some families of ring-tailed lemurs. Then we continue to Ihosy, the capital of the Bara tribes, who are the shepherds of Zebu, and pass through the mountain chain of Andringitra, which serves as a transition between the dry south and green highlands with its famous ‘3 hillocks’ and its huge ‘archbishop's cape’.

Along the way, we see from afar a spectacular huge granite dome with twin rock towers called: ‘the gate of the south’, which marks the end of the highland and the beginning of the south. The other imposing one is the ‘Bishop's hat’, which is a sacred place for the local people, as it is a place where their ancestors chose a collective suicide rather than to give in to the Merina tribes. We then pass through the huge ‘Plateaux de Horombe’ where with its very deep red soil, reminds us of ‘the no man's land’. Arrive in Isalo.Overnight: Isalo | Breakfast

Today, we will visit and hike in Isalo National Park. The park covers an area of 81 540 ha comprising the entire stretch of the Isalo massif. This huge mountain is spectacular with its eroded sandstone mountain. Today walk to the ‘Natural swimming pool’. After a 10-minute drive from Ranohira village you'll walk about 1½ hours to reach the Natural Swimming Pool. Along the way, see vegetation like Uapaca Bojeri, Pachypodium Rosulatum or ‘elephant's foot’, Aloe Isaloensis, a native species of aloe and endemic to Isalo.

Walk through the eroded mountains where the Bara people place their dead before they can be interned into their final resting place. Start the climb and reach the massif, (after a 20 minute walk) where we will have a spectacular view of the huge sandstone mountains with its beautiful colours and its strange and eroded forms creating many different images such as ‘the tortoise’, ‘the masks’ and ‘the crocodiles’. See small streams of water, and rivers which are marked by lines of brilliant green, generally made up of numerous Pandanus Pulcher and the delicate, slim-stemmed, feathery leaved palm Chrysalidocarpus Isaloensis. Along the way, for lemur lovers, there may be sifakas, brown lemurs and ringtailed lemurs, as well as fifty-five species of birds, lizards and snakes. Finally reaching the swimming pool, with its crystal clear water. A great reward after your trek. Overnight: Isalo | Breakfast

Isalo - Tulear - Ifaty. After breakfast, continue to Tulear at the end of National Road N° 7. Admire some different scenery - the dry forests of the west and the spiny desert of the south. En-route see the fascinating ‘Mahafaly Tombs’ and the ‘Antandroy Tombs’. After a short visit of Tulear we drive to Ifaty, which lies about 27 km from Tulear. Due to the bad condition of the road it will take about 2½ hours to reach Ifaty which brings we to the driest part of the country. Situated in the deep south, the landscape is dominated by the spiny forest cacti, Baobab trees and thorn-bushes.

Mangrove trees line the coast alternated by Vezo villages, the locals earn their living from fishing and there are many small pirogues (small traditional fishing boats) lining the coast. The men of the vilages typically go fishing twice a day while the women and children await their return to fetch the fish and take them to Tuléar for sale.Overnight: Ifaty | Breakfast

Day 10

Free day in Ifaty

Day at leisure. Ifaty, being a beachside town is an ideal place for diving, snorkelling and is also a popular destination for birdwatchers. This is a great opportunity to experience the Vezo Fishermen's life. Many excursions are possible. Visit the ‘Reserve Domergue’, a communal reserve where you can see two species of baobabs, spiny bush, reptiles like ‘Boa Madagascariensis, geckos and Parson's Chameleon (Calumma Parsonii). Take a boat trip to see the whales. From July to mid September, whales come to the cool sea off Madagascar to give birth to their young. This is a spectacular experience and it is possible to see the whales up close by taking a boat trip. Situated in the largest lagoon of the country, Ifaty is also protected by a large coral reef, which makes it an ideal for diving and snorkelling. In the afternoon you can walk to the village of Mangily where you can visit a local school.Overnight: Ifaty | Breakfast

Day 11

Fly to Tana

Ifaty - Tana (Antananarivo). Early in the morning around 6h00, transfer to the airport for your flight back to Tana (Please note the tour price does not include cost of internal flight Tulear - Antananarivo).

Check in at your hotel and enjoy a free afternoon. Tana also called the ‘City of Thousands’ is the capital of Madagascar. It is the city where the first King started to unify the different kingdoms of the island. Built in stages: The high city, the first area occupied during the royal period where the old queen's palace is situated, the mid-city, where all the chic boutiques of the capital are found and then the low city, which is the commercial area of the town. Our walk can start from the high city to see the Rova, the queen's palace, the house of the first minister during these days, which is now a museum; all built by Frenchman Jean Laborde during the royal period. The mid-city, or the administration area ends at the Rainiharo tombs and the lower town is situated in the main avenue called ‘L'avenue de l'independence’ dominated by the railway station. Overnight: Antananarivo | Breakfast

Day 12

Antananarivo

Today is the end of our tour and you will be transferred to the airport for your onward flight.Breakfast

Flights & Private Departures

The internal flight from Tulear to Antananarivo on day 11 is not included in the price of this tour. The cost is approximately Euro275 and this flight should be booked in conjunction with your international flights.

There are special airfares for flights from Johannesburg to Antananarivo 7 days of the week, and regular flights from Paris to Antananarivo with Air France and Air Madagascar. We can assist you with booking your flights upon request.

This tour requires a minimum of 4 passengers to run but it can also be operated as a private tour on a departure date of your choice, please contact us for prices. Note: This tour is not recommended between December and March due to the rainy season. June and July are dry but cold, especially in the Highlands.

Prices & Dates

Prices shown are per person travelling. 'Twin/Double' prices per person apply when there are at least 4 people travelling. The 'Single supplement' applies for solo travellers who will require their own room and needs to be added to the 'Twin/Double' price.

Reviews

Travellers have rated this tour as 5
out of 5
based on 3 recent reviews

“

Fantastic! Guide very helpful and knowledgable. Activities full on with down time to rest at the end. A beautiful place and in the short I was there, I managed to see a range of landscapes and participate in a wide range of activities.”

Linda Hammond &bullet; Submitted 25 Apr 2016

Tour

Guide

Country

“

The tour was just amazing. It was great to spend these days in Madagascar. I learned a lot about the nature, landscape, culture and the people who live there. Our guide, Armel, has a wide knowledge about Madagascar and all the animals and plants, which he shared with us. It was always very interesting to listen to his words and we were welcome to ask all our questions. Armel leaded the tour just perfectly. He showed us all sites of Madagascar and was very funny all the time. His short briefings every evening were very helpful.

The tour itself was a perfect mixture between activities and freetime. We hiked a lot, climbed on rocks and went to caves and we were able to spent the last two days just at the beach. It was the perfect finish for our tour. Everything was well organised and I would recommend this tour to everybody.”

Natalie Paulse &bullet; Submitted 25 Apr 2016

Tour

Guide

Country

“

The tour was just amazing. It was great to spend these days in Madagascar. I learned a lot about the nature, landscape, culture and the people who live there. Our guide, Armel, has a wide knowledge about Madagascar and all the animals and plants, which he shared with us. It was always very interesting to listen to his words and we were welcome to ask all our questions. Armel leaded the tour just perfectly. He showed us all sites of Madagascar and was very funny all the time. His short briefings every evening were very helpful.

The tour itself was a perfect mixture between activities and freetime. We hiked a lot, climbed on rocks and went to caves and we were able to spent the last two days just at the beach. It was the perfect finish for our tour. Everything was well organised and I would recommend this tour to everybody.”

Extra Tour Info

Our pick of the best destinations for a beach and safari holiday in Africa

Updated

1st March 2017

“

Fantastic! Guide very helpful and knowledgable. Activities full on with down time to rest at the end. A beautiful place and in the short I was there, I managed to see a range of landscapes and participate in a wide range of activities.”

Life can be unpredictable and we understand that sometimes it’s necessary to change or delay your travel plans. With our LIFETIME DEPOSIT guarantee, you can book our Signature tours safe in the knowledge that if you’re unable to travel, your deposit is fully transferable and will be held for an unlimited time.

Madagascar Lodge Accommodated Safaris

Discover the best of Madagascar from national parks home to staggering wildlife to unspoilt beaches with the comfort of ending each day in good value 2-3 star hotels and the option to upgrade to 3-4 star hotels on selected departure dates.

Prices shown are per person travelling. 'Twin/Double' prices per person apply when there are at least 4 people travelling. The 'Single supplement' applies for solo travellers who will require their own room and needs to be added to the 'Twin/Double' price.

A supplement applies for 2-3 people travelling and there is an additional supplement if you require an English speaking guide to escort you throughout the tour (excluding days 9 & 10). Malagasy drivers speak basic English & have general knowledge of history, culture and the fauna & flora in Madagascar. An English speaking guide is included for groups of 4 or more.

This safari is run on scheduled dates throughout the year but it can also be tailor–made to meet your dates, time period and group size. Please contact us for details.

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Iconic Experiences, Local Partners

On our Handpicked range we bring you the most iconic experiences in destinations where you’ll join travellers from other travel brands on your tour, safari or sailing holiday. Collaborating with our carefully handpicked portfolio of local partners, these holidays represent exceptional value and there’ll be plenty of cultural experiences shared with other like-minded travellers.

Group sizes and accommodation standards vary by destination where typical group size is 28 travellers and hotels, boats and safari lodges are of a 3-4 star standard.

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This tour is 100% guaranteed to depart with travellers.

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